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Brewers-Giants Preview

Sep 17, 2010 - 6:11 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Milwaukee (67-78) at San Francisco (83-64), 10:15 p.m. EDT

For the first time in four months, the San Francisco Giants are alone atop the NL West.

Coming off their highest-scoring game in more than three weeks, the Giants look to continue the pursuit of their first division title in seven years in Friday's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers at AT&T Park.

With Thursday's 10-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego's 4-0 loss in St. Louis, San Francisco (83-64) moved one-half game ahead of the Padres for first place in the West. This is the first time the Giants, who were tied atop the division Sunday, are alone in first since May 6.

"Hopefully we can stay there all the way until the end," said Jonathan Sanchez, Thursday's winning pitcher. "It feels good to be in first place. We've got a lot of games to go and we've got to keep playing like this if we're going to finish first."

San Francisco's offense had been struggling, plating two runs or fewer in five of seven games before reaching double digits Thursday for the first time since a 12-11, 12-inning loss to Cincinnati on Aug. 25.

Aubrey Huff hit a three-run homer and Buster Posey had a solo shot Thursday for the Giants, who have won 11 of 15 and are seeking their first West crown since 2003.

Huff and Posey also led San Francisco in a four-game sweep over the Brewers (67-78) in July. Posey was 9 for 15 with four home runs and nine RBIs, while Huff homered twice and drove in seven for the Giants, who outscored Milwaukee 36-7.

Huff, who is hitting .385 with three home runs and seven RBIs in his last 10 games, is batting .467 with five homers and 12 RBIs in his last eight against the Brewers.

San Francisco now looks to give some offensive support to scheduled starter Madison Bumgarner (5-5, 3.28 ERA), something the rookie hasn't enjoyed much of lately.

Bumgarner has a 0.89 ERA in his last three starts, but is 0-1 because he's been backed by two total runs of support. In San Diego on Saturday, the left-hander allowed a Yorvit Torrealba homer among three hits over seven innings in a 1-0 loss.

It was the eighth time in nine starts Bumgarner received two runs or fewer of support.

However, Bumgarner had one of the best outings of his career in Milwaukee on July 6, yielding three hits in eight scoreless innings of a 6-1 victory.

Milwaukee's Randy Wolf (11-11, 4.53) also is also coming off a tough-luck defeat. He allowed a homer to Xavier Nady among four hits in eight innings in Saturday's 1-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

The left-hander, who is 4-2 with a 3.07 ERA in his last nine starts, opposed Bumgarner in July, permitting five runs - one earned - in seven innings and took the loss. Wolf is 2-0 with a 1.41 ERA in five starts in San Francisco since 2007.

The Brewers are coming off Wednesday's 8-6, 10-inning win over Houston, their second victory in six games. Milwaukee tied the score in the ninth before Mat Gamel hit a go-ahead double an inning later.

Rickie Weeks hit his 27th homer for Milwaukee, which has lost seven of eight to the Giants.